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Aaron Gekoski

@aaron_gekoski

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Conservation photojournalist and filmmaker
Former winner at Wildlife/Nature/Environmental Photographer of the Year competitions
Canon

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For centuries, lions have been symbols of power, strength, and status. In some traditions, hunters believed that by killing a lion, its spirit would accompany them into the afterlife, serving as a guardian beside their throne.

But while the belief may be ancient, the consequences are very real.

Even today, lions are still killed for status, prestige, and traditions rooted in superstition. As wild lion populations face increasing pressure from habitat loss, conflict with humans, and wildlife crime, every unnecessary death matters.

No throne is worth a lion's life.

By telling these stories, Dethroned shines a light on the threats lions still face and why their future depends on changing the way we value them, not as symbols of power, but as living, wild animals.

📣You can watch the full movie on @terramater YouTube channel.

Dethroned is a co-production of @terramater in association with @fourpaws.international

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One animal, two very different lives💔🐅

In the wild, big cats roam vast territories, hunt, and play their role in the ecosystem. In captivity, many face a reality they were never meant for.

Our documentary Dethroned reveals the shocking contrast and investigates the global wildlife trade that continues to profit from these animals.

🎬 Watch "Dethroned" now on our YouTube channel!

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It’s finally HAPPENING! The official vote by the NYC City Council to Ban Horse Carriages will be October 22nd❗️The majority of council members are in agreement to ban the carriages. Fingers crossed! NYC photographer @aaron_gekoski has documented these horses for years- an eyewitness to what they have been forced to endure, and watched them suffer. No more! By June 2028 they will be in their new forever homes in sanctuaries, living out their days freely roaming pastures. REPOSTED: @aaron_gekoski Some big news today…

For decades, horse-drawn carriages have been part of the postcard image of New York City. Tourists wrapped in blankets, being ridden through Central Park, with the Manhattan skyline rising behind them.

But behind this romanticised image is a rather different reality. Horses navigating congested streets, surrounded by blaring horns, exhaust fumes and thousands of people, often in searing heat. Animals bred to roam and graze, instead spending their working lives pulling tourists through one of the busiest cities on Earth.

I’ve photographed New York’s carriage horses on a number of occasions. While I adore the city, it isn’t a place for animals to be carting tourists around, day in, day out.

Now, after years of campaigning, New York is moving towards ending this controversial practice. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and City Council Speaker Julie Menin have backed legislation to ban horse-drawn carriage rides, following years of campaigning by animal welfare groups.

If approved by the City Council, the ban would take effect by June 2028, bringing an end to one of the city’s most controversial tourist attractions.

Images taken for @ladyfreethinker

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🎬 When I got the request to work on this documentary, I initially hesitated because of the potential dangers involved in finding the protagonists in Peru! 🇵🇪
I took a deep breath and thought about the impact this could have on the world and I wasn't wrong!

And I'm so proud of my contribution to bringing these stories to light! Thank you to the entire team for making this documentary possible and, above all, for making it accessible for everyone to watch!! @aaron_gekoski @willfostergrundy @asterizora @fourpaws.international @terramater

Ps: See my name on the credits at the end!! 😊

#terramater #fourpawsinternational #fixerperufilm #fixerinperu #filmmakerperu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8R_NGPwOJ8

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People have revered big cats for thousands of years. Dethroned asks what has become of that relationship today.

A co-production by Terra Mater Studios and Four Corners Film, in this FOUR PAWS documentary, photojournalist Aaron Gekoski spends 18 months following the world's big cats — and the people who profit from them. Jaguars hunted for their pelts in Peru. Big cats kept as social-media status symbols in Pakistan. Tigers caged for tourists in Thailand. The illegal trade of the Golden Triangle in Laos. And the lion farms of South Africa.

That last one is ours to answer for. FOUR PAWS estimates that around 10,000 lions and more than 600 tigers — a species not even native here — are held in captivity in South Africa for cub petting, "walk-with" experiences, hunting and the bone trade. While filming here, the crew arrived just as police were rescuing three lion cubs from an illegal trader.

FOUR PAWS is urging the government to follow through on its 2021 commitment to end captive lion breeding — and to include every big cat species in that process.

Watch it. Share it. And never pay to hold a cub.

Watch Dethroned at four-paws.org.za.

#Dethroned #BigCats #CaptiveLions #EndCubPetting #ConservationTrust

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Behind every rescued lion is a story that shouldn't have happened🦁

The animals at Lions Rock come from across the world, reflecting a global issue how big cats are often treated by people. At @fourpaws.za , dedicated teams work every day to rescue and protect wild animals, giving them a second chance at life. Today, the sanctuary provides safety, care, and a peaceful home for animals that have endured difficult circumstances.

Watch the full documentary Dethroned on the 1st of October on our YouTube channel.

🎬 Dethroned is a co-production of @terramater in association with @fourpaws.international

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📣DETHRONED is out now!

Join award-winning investigative photojournalist @aaron_gekoski as he uncovers the shocking reality behind the global wildlife trade.

Directed by @willfostergrundy and created in association with @fourpaws.international and @terramater.

This eye-opening documentary asks one powerful question: "What becomes of us when we destroy all that is sacred?"

Watch it now on the @terramater YouTube channel.

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@aaron_gekoski We’re delighted to introduce Aaron Gekoski, an award-winning conservation photojournalist and filmmaker whose work investigates and exposes the darker side of our relationship with wildlife.

For years, Aaron has documented the illegal wildlife trade and the exploitation of wild animals, using powerful photography and filmmaking to uncover what often happens behind closed doors, from wildlife trafficking and captive-animal tourism to the commercial industries that profit from wild animals.

His work takes audiences beyond the images we see on social media and asks an important question: what is really happening behind the experience?

We’re proud to share the trailer for Aaron’s upcoming documentary, DETHRONED, which investigates the exploitation of some of the world’s most iconic big cats and the industries built around them, including South Africa’s captive lion and big cat industry.

DETHRONED — coming 1 October.

Made in association with @fourpaws.international and @terramater.
How we treat wildlife says a lot about who we are ??

For centuries, lions, tigers and other big cats have been symbols of power, beauty and wonder. Today, many are exploited, traded and pushed toward extinction.

This extraordinary documentary asks one profound question: "What becomes of us when we destroy all that is sacred?"

Watch the trailer, share it, and stay tuned for the full documentary. 🙏🏻

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The animals we live alongside are everywhere, and almost never seen.

In the Anthropocene, animals have become an industry: raised, transported and used by the billions, so numerous we count them by the ton rather than as individuals. Hidden Animals in the Anthropocene is a photo essay from We Animals, the non-profit behind a growing genre of visual storytelling called animal photojournalism. From industrial farms and live-transport routes to the sanctuaries offering a different ending, it documents the lives we rarely look at, and asks us to de-centre ourselves and see with empathy.

See the full photo essay with the link in the bio.

Photography by @weanimals, words by Jo-Anne McArthur (@joannemcarthurphotography).

🦎 Join Planet REVOLVE to help us keep telling the stories that matter, in all their depth and complexity.

#AnimalPhotojournalism #WeAnimals #Anthropocene #Ecosystems #PlanetREVOLVE #REVOLVE

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Five photographers. Five remarkable stories 📸💯 Five new conversations are brewing at The Camera Café Show podcast ☕🤩🎙️

Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sitting down with:

📸 Aaron Gekoski — Award Winning Environmental Photojournalist
From conservation and protecting wildlife to exposing the darker side of our relationship with big cats in his film “Dethroned”. @aaron_gekoski

📸 Adam Docker — Commercial Cinematographer
Travelling the world for 25 years. Portraits of people, cultures and stories across more than ninety countries. @adamdockerphoto

📸 Jon McCormack — Nature Photographer & Author
From the Australian Outback to Apple and SeaLegacy. Exploring the patterns of the natural world. @jonmccormackphoto

📸 Elle Leontiev — Fine Art & Documentary Photographer
Sony Open Photographer of the Year 2026 — Siena World Photography Awards Nominee. @elle_tieva_

📸 Melina Coogan — Lifestyle & Documentary Photographer
Finding stories in family life, adventure and the beautiful absurdity of everyday moments. @melinacooganphoto

Five very different journeys. Five unique perspectives 📸 Stories that go far beyond the frame 😍

I can't wait to share these conversations with you! 🎙️ Follow along — the stories are brewing... ☕📸

#Photography #Photographers #Inspiration #Trending

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Watch the full documentary Dethroned on the 1st of October on @terramater YouTube channel.

Dethroned (2024)

Follow filmmaker Aaron Gekoski on a gripping journey across Pakistan, Thailand, South Africa, and the Golden Triangle as he uncovers the shocking reality behind the global trade in lions, tigers, and leopards. From exotic pets and tiger tourism to traditional medicine and lion breeding farms, Dethroned reveals the hidden cost of our fascination with these majestic animals.

🎬 Dethroned is a co-production of @terramater and @fourcornerse2 in association with @fourpaws.international

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Colors of Dethroned 🎨

Big cats are incredible. Across Asia, they are surrounded by vibrant colors and breathtaking landscapes. But unfortunately, not everything is as colorful and peaceful as it seems….

Watch the full documentary Dethroned on the 1st of October on our YouTube channel.

🎬 Dethroned is a co-production of @terramater and @fourcornerse2 in association with @fourpaws.international

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